Baseball Talk Philadelphia

July 14, 2014

"I haven't envisioned ever leaving Philadelphia," Utley said during an interview today with Comcast Sports Net, "I feel like I'm wanted in Philly, I feel like the fans appreciate the way I play, I feel like the front office appreciates how I play." The Phillies' All-Star second baseman added that he does not plan on going anywhere.

Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sports Net reported today that Utley plans on staying with this ballclub for as long as they'll have him, and the odds of him ending up somewhere else by the trade deadline on July 31st are very, very slim.

Aside from trade rumors, Utley addressed his thoughts on the team's performance this season, stating there could definitely be more energy. In another interview with CSN's Salisbury, Utley pointed out the obvious stating, "We have to play better baseball, there is no doubt about that."

Catch Utley batting seventh for the National League in the 2014 All-Star game tomorrow night at 8:00 PM on FOX.

January 02, 2014

According to reports on Twitter from PhillyBurbs' Kevin Cooney, the Phillies and CSN are going to reach a 20-25 year deal starting at the end of 2015. Currently, CSN, WPHL, ESPN, NBC, and Fox are able to broadcast Phillies games, however, WPHL will be out of the picture starting in the 2014 season.

While details regarding the financials of this contract have not been released yet, it's clear that this will be a large deal ranging into the billions. The Los Angeles Dodgers recently set a deal with Time Warner for $7,000,000,000 that will be effective for the next 25 years.

August 31, 2013

Cliff Lee took the mound this afternoon against Chris Rusin and the Cubs at Wrigley, looking for his 12th win of the season, and the Phillies' 63rd win.

In the top of the second inning, the Phillies jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Kevin Frandsen launched his fifth homer of the season into the seats in left field. However, the Cubs answered in the bottom of the inning after Welington Castillo scored on a single from Cole Gillespie.

Chase Utley scored in the top of the third thanks to an RBI double from Carlos Ruiz. With a 2-1 lead, the Cubs tied it up again in the bottom of the third after Castillo singled to score Donnie Murphy.

With Cliff Lee on first in the fourth, Michael Young brought him around to score with an RBI triple, his fourth of the season. 3-2 Phils.

Murphy scored another run in the bottom of the fifth after Gillespie popped up a sacrifice fly to Roger Bernadina. After five innings, Cliff Lee was pulled for Zach Miner. Lee's line: 5 IP, 9 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K.

In the bottom of the sixth, Starlin Castro gave the Cubs a 4-3 lead with a solo homer sent to the stands in center field.

Zach Miner pitched just the sixth inning and allowed one earned run, the homer to Castro.

Cesar Jimenez and B.J. Rosenberg combined for two scoreless innings before Kevin Gregg closed it out for the Cubs, sending them to a 4-3 win.

May 27, 2013

Tyler Cloyd's third start of the season was one to forget. Cloyd, a Red Sox fan at heart, faced a franchise that he grew up with. However, they didn't give him an easy time.

In the bottom of the first, Jacoby Ellsbury singled and was later brought home by Dustin Pedroia, making it a 2-0 ballgame. Later in the inning, Mike Napoli took Cloyd deep for a solo homer to right center field.

In the top of the third, Erik Kratz put the Phillies on the board with a solo shot to right field, his fifth homer of the season.

The bottom of the inning would be Tyler Cloyd's last. After David Ortiz doubled, he was sent home on a ground-rule double from Napoli. Stephen Drew singled to score Napoli making it 5-1. After Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled, Cloyd got the hook, and in came Michael Stutes. One more run would score in the inning, Ellsbury doubled to bring home Drew. 6-1 Sox.

Cloyd went just 2.1 innings allowing 6 earned runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out two.

In the bottom of the fifth with Stutes still in, two more runs would score for the Red Sox. Drew singled and Mike Carp doubled, both were brought home by a single from Saltalamacchia.

After 2.1 innings, Mike Stutes was replaced by Jeremy Horst. Stutes allowed just two runs, one earned, on four hits, striking out two.

Horst pitched a solid inning and 1/3, allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out three. Antonio Bastardo followed with a perfect bottom of the seventh.

In the top of the eighth with Delmon Young on base, Domonic Brown launched a two-run homer to right field, making it an 8-3 ballgame.

In the bottom of the inning, Mike Adams struggled greatly with his location, walking three in the inning, one of which brought home a run making it a 9-3 game. Justin De Fratus came in with two outs and retired the side with a groundout.

Ben Revere singled to lead off the top of the ninth, but three quick outs later, the Red Sox won it 9-3.

May 22, 2013

With Phillippe Aumont's recent struggles, he was sent down to AAA Lehigh Valley after tonight's ballgame, per Todd Zolecki. This season, Aumont is facing a 4.15 ERA, and has allowed six earned runs on 17 hits in 13 innings pitched. He has also walked ten and struck out 15. A corresponding move will be made on Friday, but it seems that Mike Stutes is the obvious choice.

This season in Lehigh Valley, Mike Stutes has been excellent. In 20 games and 27 innings pitched, Stutes' ERA sits at 3.33. He has allowed 10 runs to score all season, walking 11 and striking out 25. However, in the past ten games, Stutes has allowed just one run to score. The Phillies are losing a sub-par righty in Aumont, but they're gaining a strong righty in Stutes.

April 19, 2013

The Phillies were looking to snap a four-game losing streak tonight, and that wouldn't be too difficult of a task with a sharp Roy Halladay on the mound.

It didn't take very long for the Phillies to jump ahead of Jaime Garcia and the Cardinals. They scored five in the bottom of the first, here's how it all went down: Chase Utley walked, Michael Young singled, John Mayberry sent Utley home with an RBI double. Kevin Frandsen reached on an error by Ty Wigginton, Young and Mayberry score. Ben Revere tripled to center, Frandsen scored. Humberto Quintero doubled to center, Revere scored. 5-0 Phillies.

In the top of the next inning, Carlos Beltran put St. Louis on the board after sending a solo homer to right field.

The Phillies came right back and made it a 6-1 ballgame in the bottom of the second after Chase Utley singled to bring home Jimmy Rollins.

In the third, Frandsen was sent home by Quintero on an RBI single. Later, Revere came around to score on a wild pitch from Garcia.

Roy Halladay was looking like vintage Doc tonight, allowing just two runs on two hits (a home run to both Beltran and Holliday) while walking two and striking out six.

After the top of the seventh, the Phillies and Cards went into a rain delay. The game was called after a little over a half hour, and Halladay was given his second win of the season with the Phillies taking this one 8-2.

Tomorrow night at 7:05, Cliff Lee and Lance Lynn will square off in the third game of this four game series.

April 18, 2013

After a three-game sweep from the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies started a blank slate tonight at Citizens Bank Park against the Cardinals. Cole Hamels and Adam Wainwright squared off tonight.

The Cardinals jumped ahead to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth after Yadier Molina doubled to score Matt Holliday and Allen Craig.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies tied the ballgame with an RBI double from Freddy Galvis, then a single from Chase Utley.

It became a game of cat and mouse between the Phils and Cards. St. Louis took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh with an RBI single from Pete Kozma. In the bottom of the inning, the Phils tied it up again thanks to a single from Erik Kratz which brought home John Mayberry.

After seven, Hamels' evening was done. He allowed three earned runs on five hits, walking two and striking out eight. Very solid.

Mike Adams came in for the eighth inning and allowed the Cards to take a 4-3 lead after Carlos Beltran homered to left field.

In the top of the ninth, Jonathan Papelbon came in and pitched a 1-2-3 inning, sending it to the bottom of the ninth with the Cardinals up, 4-3.

The Phils threatened with men in scoring position and two outs, but Galvis ended it with a groundout to second base.

Tomorrow night at 7:05, Roy Halladay will take the mound against Jaime Garcia.

April 17, 2013

As if the Phillies' offensive struggles weren't noticeable enough, it was made clear tonight in Cincinnati. Mike Leake and John Lannan squared off tonight in what would be quite an ugly game.

John Lannan would go only 1.2 innings tonight. Lannan got the hook after allowing six earned runs on eight hits, while walking one, hitting one, and striking out one.

The first run for the Reds came in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Brandon Phillips which scored Zack Cozart.

Five runs would score in the bottom of the second. First, Todd Frazier sent a solo homer to right field to start off the inning. Next, Mike Leake tripled and scored Devin Mesoraco. Derrick Robinson singled to bring home Leake, then Jay Bruce singled to bring home two runs. 6-0 Reds.

Raul Valdes came in for 3.1 innings tonight. He would allow five earned runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four.

In the bottom of the third, the Reds scored three. First, Mesoraco doubled to bring home Chris Heisey. Later, Philipps singled to plate Mesoraco and Leake. 9-0 Reds.

With Mike Leake on base in the fifth, Cozart homered to left field making it an 11-0 ballgame.

Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning tonight. In the top of the eighth with John Mayberry on base, Freddy Galvis hit his first homer of the year, a liner to right field. 11-2 Reds.

11-2 would be the final tonight. The Reds sweep the Phillies in three games.

Tomorrow, the Phillies will head home and face the St. Louis Cardinals. Cole Hamels will take the mound against Adam Wainwright at 7:05.

April 16, 2013

Homer Bailey and Kyle Kendrick were nothing short of spectacular tonight. After an hour and twenty minute rain delay in Cincinnati, the two starters squared off, and the duel bagan.

Much like last night's ballgame, the Phillies' offense was nowhere to be found. Through EIGHT innings, the Phils had gathered two hits: a single from Michael Young in the second, and a single from Chase Utley in the fourth. Bailey went for eight innings tonight, striking out ten, a career high.

Kendrick was just as dominant against the Reds. Through seven innings, Kyle had allowed just two hits while walking two and striking out four. He tossed 106 pitches tonight, 67 for strikes.

Antonio Bastardo tossed a perfect bottom of the eighth for the Phils, striking out one. Aroldis Chapman came in for the second straight night and struck out two.

Heading into the bottom of the ninth, the rain once again forced this game into a delay. Only, this one would suspend the ballgame until tomorrow evening at 5:30.

Tomorrow night at 7:10, John Lannan and Mike Leake will wrap this series up.

Oh, and in case you were wondering:

Tomorrow's resumption is not an extension of bark in park promotion. No dogs, Reds say